Methods and kits for portable, low impact resistance exercising

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses improved, low-cost systems, kits and methods for resistance exercising using stretchable bands that easily attach to and detach from the exerciser&#39;s footwear. The kits and methods disclosed enable an exerciser to easily train different muscle groups through repetitive, long-chain, paths of motion, all in a single session, while minimizing risk of injury both from band snapback and in the midst of an exercise set. One category of rotational exercises disclosed by the present invention comprises the exerciser rotating through constantly changing “angles of resistance.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of exercising, andin particular to systems, kits and methods for rotational and linearresistance exercising using stretchable bands or tubes.

The stretchable band has long been used as an effective exercise toolfor working out and conditioning parts of the human body. These bands ortubes, whether in the form of a strip or a loop, made from any number ofstretchable materials and in myriad shapes and thickness—all suchdevices hereinafter called “resistance bands”—are widely used byexercisers at home and with personal trainers, and by patients withphysical therapists. Compared to other exercise devices and systems,resistance bands have many advantages. They are low cost, highlycompact, lightweight, and portable. They are also easy to use andversatile in that a single band can be used to work out many differentparts of the body. Indeed, resistance bands have achieved such wideacceptance among fitness and therapeutic professionals that they havebecome a standard piece of exercise equipment found in virtually everyaspect of the fitness and therapeutic industries.

Various types and resistance “strengths” are known. Common forms are thesimple rubber or rubber-like flat strips of material cut to any desiredlength, with or without handles at each end of the strips. “JC” bandsoften come as one or a pair of rubber tubes with handles on one end anda connector at the other end. The connector may terminate in a loopstrap used to secure the JC Band to an anchoring device, such as a wall.Loop bands are relatively large, looped resistance bands that come invariety of resistances. Loop bands are commonly used in therapyenvironments where varying lengths and thicknesses of the bands are usedfor therapeutic exercise. All versions of these bands come in varying“strengths” or resistances, often purchased as a set of extra light,light, medium, heavy and extra heavy bands or the like. With so manymanufacturers in the market and its ubiquitous use, resistance bandshave become a de facto commodity in the fitness industry.

Conventionally, resistance bands are used in two modes; (1) inconjunction with or as an attachment to other structures or devices; or(2) as standalone devices. In the mode (1), one or both ends of the bandmay be fitted with a connector (such as loop strap or carabiner or otherconnecting mechanism) used to secure the band to an anchoring device orwall or some other relatively immovable object. Or, a longer band maysimply be looped around or tied to a fixed structure, such as a pole, achin up bar or leg of a table.

In the standalone mode (2), the user engages with a band that is notattached to any structure other than the user herself. The band may beused simply as a linear strip of stretchable material, as used whendoing “pull-aparts”, where each hand grasps an end of the band and pullsoutwardly from the chest. The two ends of the standalone linear band mayhave no terminating structures, or they may terminate with handlessecured to their ends. A loop band may be used in standalone mode as inwhen the user steps on the band with one or both feet and grabs anopposite end of the loop to perform arm curls or over-the-head presses.

One advantage of standalone resistance bands beyond the facts that theyare inexpensive, very compact and may be used for myriad exercises, istheir obvious simplicity—since they can be used with no otherstructures, machine or devices, standalone bands are particularlyattractive for personal and portable uses.

One set of conventional use cases for standalone, resistance bandsinvolves the user's hands and feet. The relatively long distance betweenthe hands and feet of the exerciser can result in beneficial “longchain” muscle exercises. In one case, one end of the band is held by oneor both hands and the other end is secured to the user's foot or feet.In one another exemplary use case for a linear strip, with one or bothfeet simply standing on a portion of the band near its middle, each handof the user grasps an end of the band, and pulls away from the ground,as would be the case when doing bicep curls or triceps extensions.Others are designed with terminating ends specially adapted for engagingthe user's hands and feet. U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,827 to Weider (“Weider”)is an example of one such elastic band having a “Y” shape with onehandle at the base end of the band and one handle at each of the “Ysplit” ends of the bands. As seen in FIGS. 15 and 16 of Weider, theexerciser simply slides the handles onto the feet and either stands onthem (FIG. 15 ) or arches the feet so the handles don't roll off thefeet (FIG. 16 ).

Unfortunately, these conventional, standalone resistance use cases anddevices are not very safe during use in that they are prone to slippingoff the foot (or out of the hand). The risk of injury is especiallyacute when the bands are stretched out during a rep. In this position,an inadvertent slip out of a hand or off a foot can generate asignificant snap-back force that causes the band to hit a part of thebody close where the band is still attached. Some resistance bandsystems attempt to address this by providing connectors at one endconfigured to connect with foot attachments, but they are cumbersome touse and not easily adjustable from one foot to another.

What is needed, therefore, is a standalone resistance band method andsystem that are portable, easy to use, safe and secure, speciallyadapted for providing improved full body, hand-to-foot, long-chain andcore workouts and that do not suffer from the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention meets these needs and more by disclosing kits,systems and sets of exercise methods using the systems for improvedlinear and rotational core exercising that solve the aforementionedproblems. In preferred embodiments, a method for a user to exercise atleast one part of a human body using a resistance band system isdisclosed. In one embodiment, the resistance band system employed by themethod preferably includes a stretchable band with first and secondends; a handle connected to the first end and adapted to be gripped byone or both hands of the user; a shoe attachment adapted to be removablysecured to a first shoe worn by the user; and a connector connected tothe second end of the band for removably, but securely connecting thesecond end of the band to the shoe attachment when the shoe attachmentis secured to the shoe. The method may comprise the following steps:with the shoe attachment secured to one of the user's shoes, connectingthe second end of the band to the shoe attachment; with a hand of theuser holding the handle and the shoe of the user in place, positioningthe handle such that the band system is in a relatively low resistance,exercise start position; stretching the band to an increased resistanceposition; and returning the band system to the start position. Thismethod of further including repeating the second through fourth steps.

In some embodiments of this new method of exercising, the step ofstretching of the band may be performed by the user's hand or two handsmoving the handle to a second extended position. In other embodiments,the step of stretching the band is performed by the user moving his orher foot that is connected to the band to a third position.

In yet other embodiments, a method for exercising a core muscle group ofa human body of a user using a resistance band system is disclosed. Insuch embodiments, the resistance band system employed by the methodpreferably includes a stretchable band with a first end and second end;a handle connected to the first end and adapted to be gripped by one orboth hands of the user; a shoe attachment adapted to be secured to afirst shoe worn by the user; and a connector connected to the second endfor removably, but securely connecting the second end of the band to theshoe attachment.

This method may be employed advantageously by individuals desiring coreworkouts that are safe, simple to do, low impact, and very effective atisolating the core. The method preferably comprises the steps ofremovably attaching the second end of the band to the foot attachmentconnected to the first shoe; clutching with at least one hand the handleconnected to the first end; positioning the handle to one side of thebody around a vertical axis defined by the user when standing, therebycausing the upper part of the body of the user to rotate in thedirection of the handle relative to the position of the first shoe; andwhile substantially maintaining the position of the first shoe of theuser, swinging the handle across the front of the body to the oppositeside of the body. In some preferred embodiments, the connector connectedto the second end is a carabiner connector, and the handle isring-shaped that may be removable from the band. In yet furtherembodiments of this method for exercising the core muscle group, thestep of positioning the handle to one side of the body results in theshoulders of the body rotating up to approximately 90 degrees and thecore of the body rotating up to approximately 45 degrees around thevertical axis, both rotations relative to the position of the firstshoe. In other embodiments, the step of positioning the handle to oneside of the body results in the shoulders of the body rotating more than90 degrees and the core of the body rotating more than 45 degrees aroundthe vertical axis, both rotations relative to the position of the firstshoe. Depending on how the handle is clutched by the user's hand orhands and the body is positioned, this novel method may be especiallyadapted for “golf swing” or “tennis swing” rotational core exercises, orlinear core workouts.

The present invention also discloses a portable kit for resistancetraining. The kit preferably includes a first stretchable band withfirst and second ends; a handle, which may be a wooden ring handle,connectable to the first end and adapted to be gripped by one or bothhands of the user; a shoe attachment adapted to be secured to a firstshoe worn by the user; and a connector connected to the second end ofthe band for removably, but securely connecting the second end of theband to the shoe attachment when the shoe attachment is secured to theshoe. Moreover, the kit may be contained in a bag for easy transport. Insome embodiment the connectors are carabiner connectors for easyattachments and detachment. Optionally, the kit of the present inventionmay include two shoe attachments, one being a right shoe attachment andthe other a left shoe attachment. The kit may further include one ormore additional stretchable bands, which may be color coded or othermarked, each having different stretch resistance forces.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and the arrangement ofcomponents described hereinafter and illustrated in the drawings andphotographs. Those skilled in the art will recognize that variousmodifications can be made without departing from the scope of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Further advantages of the present invention may become apparent to thoseskilled in the art with the benefit of the following detaileddescription of the preferred embodiments and upon reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary resistance band kit showingits components assembled as a system in accordance with one non-limitingpreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a user preparing to use the systemshown of FIG. 1 for one preferred core rotational exercise methodaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 3 a second perspective view of the user shown in FIG. 2 in midst ofa rep of the core exercise;

FIG. 4 is a third perspective view of the user shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 ata final extended position of a rep of the core exercise;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a user preparing to use the system shownof FIG. 1 for a preferred second, linear resistance exercise methodaccording to one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the user shown in FIG. 5 at a finalextended position of a rep of the first core exercise; accordance withone non-limiting embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram showing preferred steps taken by an exerciserof the core exercise shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 , according to one methodof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, like reference numerals designateidentical or corresponding features throughout the several views.

As discussed above, conventional exercise equipment does not offermaximum versatility of exercise options for both linear and rotationalresistance workouts, combined with great ease and speed and safety whenmoving from one exercise to another, all in a self-contained kit thatrequires no attachment to any other object.

The present invention represents an advance in methods and kits usingstandalone resistance bands for easily and conveniently and safelyworking out a multitude of muscle groups. The present invention isparticularly advantageous for building proper back posture, balance, andcore strength for users of any level of fitness, by providing easilychangeable long-chain hand-to-foot resistances for both rotational andlinear exercises.

As seen in FIGS. 1-3 , in one preferred embodiment, kit 1 of the presentinvention includes three basic components, shown here assembled as asystem and attached to and held by exerciser 100. Kit 1 comprisesresistance band 10 that removably attaches to both handle 20 and shoestrap 30. Handle 20, in the embodiment shown, is preferably a solid woodring, similar to a gymnastics-type ring, but with a somewhat smallerdiameter. The concept of using such a ring-shaped handle enables theuser to grab it in many different orientations for comfortablyperforming many different rotational and extension exercises using thesame handle. Indeed, with this preferred handle 20, one can grip it innumerous ways, including the following exemplary grips. Grip1: atwo-handed grip with hands close together and close to the bottom of thering (as clearly seen in FIG. 3 ). This grip might be employed for a“golf-swing” core exercise method, as shown in FIGS. 2-4 and describedin detail below, or for a two-handed biceps curl. Grip 2: a two-handed“chest pass” grip, where the hands are separated approximately 180degrees apart. Grip 3: one-handed triceps grip, useful for kickbacks, asseen in FIGS. 5 and 6 . It is understood, however, the particulars ofthe handle are not necessarily essential to the invention. Rather,handle 20 may take different shapes and may be made of any appropriatematerial capable of serving as a handle for one hand, two hands or both,and capable of withstanding the forces applied to it during theresistance exercises. In this embodiment, as best seen in FIG. 1 ,attached to handle 20 is a securing loop 22 that loops around handle 20and terminates in a solid securing ring 23 to which one end 12 of band10 may easily connect and disconnect. Preferably, securing loop 22 mayengage with handle 20 with sufficient friction such it does not freelyslide around handle 20 when in use.

As further seen in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , band 10 optionallyincludes a corded sleeve 11 substantially covering its length and servesas a safety sleeve designed to protect the user's eyes and face shouldthe band break during exercise. Sleeve 11 can also optionally be anycolor which can, for example, represent a specific band resistance. Band10 has first and second ends 12, 14 each terminating in a connector 16,18 respectively. Connectors 16, 18 may be permanently affixed to theirband ends or they may, as shown in FIG. 1 , be removably connected totheir band ends. In the present preferred embodiment, connectors 16, 18are carabiner devices, but they can be any connectors can be manuallyconnected and disconnected from the objects that are intended to attachto them. Thus, at end 12, connector 16 is removably connected to handle20 via securing ring 23 that is attached to loop 22. At opposite end 14,carabiner connector 18 removably attaches to a small ring on shoe strap30 that fits over and secure to a shoe of the user.

In a preferred embodiment, an easy to attach and detach mechanism ascarabiner connector 18 enables the rapid switching of the second end 14of the band from a shoe strap 30 secured to one foot to another shoestrap 30′ that is previously attached to the other foot (not shown).This design also preferably enables easy switching out one resistanceband 10 with any number of other similarly structured bands havinggreater or lesser resistances.

It will be appreciated that in preferred embodiments, the simple threemain component kit 1 of the present invention is extremely compact andportable, can be made inexpensively, and can be packaged and carriedaround in a simple bag. Kit 1 may be an effective replacement for, oradjunct to, any number of much larger, heavier and more expensivedevices in the gym, while offering significant benefits to the user overthese conventional devices for a good number of classic, gravity-basedexercises that use weights to supply resistance to a user's body part.Weight-based devices in the gym that could be replaced by the presentinvention include for example the medicine ball, the kettle bell, ankleweights, and free weights for chest presses and leg curls. This presentkit and system can also replace or add to permanent resistance gymequipment like wall pulleys.

Ring handle 20 enabling different grips, combined with the fast connectand remove foot shoe strap 30, allows for versatile footwork while usingthe device, thereby offering major improvements over conventionalresistance bands or band systems. In sum, the present invention can becharacterized as an entire “gym in a bag” that can easily travel. Themultitude of exercises one can accomplish with this one preferred kitsets it apart from other travel fitness systems. Indeed, versatility canbe extended by providing a kit with a plurality of resistance bands 10,each having a different resistance strength.

Accordingly, the present invention discloses novel methods of practicingnumerous classic exercises using the systems of the present invention,offering significant advantages over conventional devices and methods.Following are a few examples of these methods shown in connection withFIG. 2 through FIG. 7 .

Rotational Core Exercising—the “Golf Swing” Exercise

The “core” is term often used to describe a collection of muscles in thebody, and primarily in the torso, that stabilizes, rotates, and movesthe spine. A healthy and strong core translates into a stronger lowerback and better balance. Among the many core exercises widely known,rotational core exercise is one category that is particularly importantfor conditioning the body for certain sports that require generatingsignificant torso twisting and power. Two such sports include, amongothers, golf and tennis. Various known devices and techniques areemployed to rotationally exercise the core. One of the most common withfitness trainers is the “medicine ball swing. The method employed with amedicine ball is as follows: after lifting a relatively heavy and largeball off the ground, the user gets into position by rotating his/hershoulders to about 90 degrees or more (say, to the right) relative tothe set position of the feet (and legs). In this position, the hipsnaturally rotate about 45 degrees relative the feet/legs. This positionis very similar to a golfer's position at the uptake, or top, of theswing. The exerciser then rapidly swings the medicine ball all the wayacross the body and up over the opposite (say, left) shoulder. Thisrotational/twisting motion of the core with a heavy ball creates theresistance on the core muscles and challenges the exerciser's stabilityand balance.

Unfortunately, this classic medicine ball swing exercise suffers from atleast two related drawbacks. For a given ball of appropriate weight fora user, it does not supply constant, and often not enough, resistancealong the entire paths of movements. At the same time, the exercise canresult in an excessive jolting force on the user body. Thus, while aninitial resistance force is applied to the core when the user starts towhip the ball around his/her body, the resistance lessens through therotation. That is because as the ball is an accelerating free weight,angular moment is generated, assisting the user to complete a rep on theuptake. But then, when the ball reaches its fastest speed at the top ofthe rotation, the momentum wants to keep the ball going upward. But atthat point, of course, the user must apply an immediate counterforce to“hard stop” the motion medicine ball, which undesirably jolts the body.Repeated reps of this high impact motion can put undue stress on thebody, leading to injury.

The present invention's “golf swing” exercise method using the kit ofthe present invention solves both aforementioned problems caused by thefree weight medicine (or other) ball and more. As seen in the embodimentshown FIGS. 2-4 , the present invention discloses a new method for arotational core “golf swing” exercise using the resistance band kit andsystem of the present invention. In one embodiment, a method forexercising the core of a body of a standing user using a resistance bandsystem shown in FIG. 1 is disclosed. The method comprises exerciser 100first attaching foot attachment 30 to his first shoe 110 (in thisexample the right shoe). He then, attaches the second end 14 of band 10to foot attachment 30. In this preferred embodiment, this attachmentstep is very quick due to the ease of use of carabiner connector 18. Setup is complete and exerciser 100 is ready to do the “golf swing”exercise method 500 as shown in FIGS. 3-6 and described in the flowdiagram shown in FIG. 7 . In step 502, the user grabs handle 20connected to the first end with at least one hand and stands upstraight. In step 504 and FIG. 3 , exerciser 100 then positions handle10 at approximately chest height to the side of his body correspondingto the shoe 110 attached to band 10 by rotating body 100 around avertical axis defined by the standing body. As seen in FIG. 3 , thiscauses an upper part (shoulders) and core of the body 100 to rotate inthe direction of the handle roughly 90 and 45 degrees, respectively, andin this example, to the exerciser's right. The user is now in positionto complete one rep of the resistance-based core exercise.

Thus, in step 506, while substantially maintaining the position of firstfoot 110 of the user with attachment 30 to which the second end of theband is attached, the user swings the handle across the front of thebody, roughly to the position shown in FIG. 3 , and continues all theway to the opposite side of the body. Preferably, as seen in FIG. 4 ,the swing ends over the shoulder of exerciser 100 on the opposite sideof his body. Notably, being that the exercise does not employ a freeweight, there is no angular momentum generated (a) “helping” the userthrough the swing and (b) jolting the user at the end of the swing. Tothe contrary, the resistance applied to the user's core increases as theband is continually stretched out through the rotation. Moreover, nojolting counterforce is needed to stop the handle from continuing upwardat the end of the swing.

In step 508, exerciser 100 decides if he or she did enough rotational“golf swing” reps in this first direction. If not, exerciser 100 repeatssteps 504 and moves handle 20 back to the start position. It should benoted that this reverse motion from the end position back to the startposition applies a full core stress in the reverse direction with nohelp from gravity as is the case with free weights. Exerciser 100 doesas many reps in this rotation as desired. When in step 508 exerciser 100decides sufficient reps on this side were completed, in step 510,exerciser 100 decides whether he wishes to do a set of this same golfswing exercise on the opposite side. If yes, in this example, exerciser100 easily disconnects band 10 from right foot attachment 30 and connectband 10 to a foot attachment on the left foot (not shown). It isunderstood that foot attachment 30 may be designed to work with bothfeet, such that attached 30 may be removed from the right shoe 110 andsecured to the left shoe. Alternatively, kit 10 may come with left andright foot attachments, 30, 30′, such that both can be attached to bothof the user's shoes, say, before the workout begins. This latterembodiment may be desirable for a fast-paced, high-intensity, classenvironment where an instructor instructs the students to rapidly moveband 10 from one foot attachment to the other without a break.

In sum, this present method advantageously eliminates the high impactforces imposed by the conventional medicine ball exercise. The user cando many “efficient” reps to achieve maximum rotational flexibility andstrength without the risks associated with free weights. This ability todo many reps additionally increases the endurance and improve theposture of exerciser 100.

Tennis Exercise

As a variation on the above method, the method of the present inventionshown in FIGS. 2-4 can be slightly tweaked to be adapted fortennis-specific exercises specially adapted to improve the exerciser'stennis swing, posture and endurance. In this use case, exerciser 100 maygrip with both hands ring 20 as if it is tennis racket and the swinginto the ball].] The rotational core workout is similar, but based thetennis grip, the hands and arms get a slightly different exerciseexperience.

The Archer

Another novel rotational core exercise made possible by the presentinvention is what the inventor calls the “Archer.” In this exercise, onehand (say the left) grips a far end of the ring with the arm extendingthrough the ring, such that the forearm abuts against the underside ofthe near side of the ring. This position is ideal for pulling backacross the body as the body rotates away from the band. Thus, with theband attached to the right foot and the left arm holding the ring asdescribed, one can pull the band around the front of the body and backtoward the left shoulder. Like in the prior-described exercises, theexerciser experiences increased resistance through each rep. To make theexercise even more challenging, the foot attached to the band (e.g., theright foot) can take a step back as the hand holding the ring (e.g., theleft hand) pulls the band around the body, and ending in a split squat.This same exercise can be done in conjunction with a side lunge. Itshould be understood that one may alternate sides. Many variations ofthis exercise will be understood by those with skill in the art.

Leg Exercises—Step Outs/Step Back

The present invention can also be employed for improved linear legexercises using the kit of the present invention. In particular, theuser can grab the handle with the hand that is on the side where theband is attached to the foot. The user starts with a 90 degree step outand comes up. This can be repeated for as many reps and sets as desired.As an alternative, the exerciser can step back, come up with a kneelift.

Isolating Hips from Shoulders for Better Core Workouts

Anatomically, there is a connection between the hips and shoulders ofthe exerciser, but the shoulders naturally can rotate further than thehips. Therefore, in some exercises using the present invention, the usermay pivot the foot so that her hips turn nearly as much as theshoulders. Moreover, if one does a knee lift though while holding thehips in stable position, that creates separation between the shouldersand hips, which is all great for core stability, core flexibility andstrength.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show yet another exercise made possible by the system andkit of the present invention. In this embodiment, exerciser 200 holdswith a single (right) hand 202 ring 20 in the manner described abovewith respect to the Archer exercise. But here, hand 202 is on the sameside as (right) foot 210 to which the band is attached. Exerciser 200starts in a lunge position as seen is FIG. 5 and presses straight out tothe position shown in FIG. 6 for an increasing resistance standing lungepress. As is understood, this may be repeated as many times as needed,and exerciser 100 may easily switch from side to side.

Other aspects of the present invention are now discussed. The preferredhandle of the present invention enables unique gripping for resistanceexercises that enables a hand to grip the ring with the arm through thering. This position can be particularly useful for pulling and pushingexercises, such as a chest press or double handed shoulder press. Withsingle hand, one can do a squat with a single arm lift coming out of thesquat.

While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described,it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe allpossible forms of the invention. Various changes, modifications, andalterations in the teachings of the present invention may becontemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from theintended spirit and scope thereof. It is intended that the presentinvention encompass such changes and modifications.

1. A method for a user to exercise at least one part of a human bodyusing a resistance band system having (i) a stretchable band with firstand second ends; (ii) a handle connected to the first end and adapted tobe gripped by one or both hands of the user; (iii) a shoe attachmentadapted to be removably secured to a first shoe worn by the user; and(iv) a connector connected to the second end of the band for removably,but securely connecting the second end of the band to the shoeattachment when the shoe attachment is secured to the shoe, the methodcomprising: a. with the shoe attachment secured to one of the user'sshoes, connecting the second end of the band to the shoe attachment; b.with a hand of the user holding the handle and the shoe of the user inplace, positioning the handle such that the band system is in arelatively low resistance, exercise start position; c. stretching theband to an increased resistance position; and d. returning the bandsystem to the start position.
 2. The method of claim 1, furtherincluding repeating steps b through d.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinthe step of stretching of the band is performed by the user's handmoving the handle to a second extended position.
 4. The method of claim3, wherein two hands of the user hold the handle and both hands move thehandle to the second position.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein thestep of stretching the band is performed by the user moving the foot ofthe user that is connected to the band to a third position.
 6. A methodfor exercising a core muscle group of a human body of a user using aresistance band system having a stretchable band with a first end andsecond end; a handle connected to the first end and adapted to begripped by one or both hands of the user; a shoe attachment adapted tobe secured to a first shoe worn by the user; a connector connected tothe second end for removably, but securely connecting the second end ofthe band to the shoe attachment, the method comprising: a. removablyattaching the second end of the band to the foot attachment connected tothe first shoe; b. clutching with at least one hand the handle connectedto the first end; c. positioning the handle to one side of the bodyaround a vertical axis defined by the user when standing, therebycausing the upper part of the body of the user to rotate in thedirection of the handle relative to the position of the first shoe; andd. while maintaining the position of the first shoe of the user,swinging the handle across the front of the body to the opposite side ofthe body.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the connector connected tothe second end is a carabiner connector.
 8. The method of claim 6,wherein the handle is ring-shaped.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein thehandle is removable from the band.
 10. The method of claim 6, where thestep of positioning the handle to one side of the body results in theshoulders of the body rotating approximately 90 degrees and the core ofthe body rotating approximately 45 degrees around a vertical axisdefined by an upright body, both rotations relative to the position ofthe first shoe.
 11. The method of claim 6, where the step of positioningthe handle to one side of the body results in the shoulders of the bodyrotating more than 90 degrees and the core of the body rotating morethan 45 degrees around a vertical axis defined by an upright body, bothrotations relative to the position of the first shoe.
 12. A portable kitfor resistance training comprising: a. a first stretchable band withfirst and second ends; b. a handle connectable to the first end andadapted to be gripped by one or both hands of the user; c. a shoeattachment adapted to be secured to a first shoe worn by the user; andd. a connector connectable to the second end of the band for removably,but securely connecting the second end of the band to the shoeattachment when the shoe attachment is secured to the shoe.
 13. The kitof claim 12, wherein the handle is a ring handle.
 14. The kit of claim12, further including a second connector connectable to the first end ofthe band.
 15. The kit of claim 14, wherein the connectors are carabinerconnectors.
 16. The kit of claim 12, wherein the shoe attachment is aright shoe attachment, and further including a left shoe attachment. 17.The kit of claim 12, further including a second stretchable band withfirst and second ends having a stretching resistance force that isgreater than the first stretchable band.
 18. The kit of claim 17,wherein the first and second stretchable bands are color coded, eachcolor representing a different stretch resistance force.